When thinking about the digital engagement of active social media users, rookies generally alternate between wondering (often enviously or wistfully) “How do they find the time?” and scoffing (often dismissively and disdainfully) “How do they have so much ‘free’ time?” In our overcommitted, busy lives, lack of time is a common lament. Many people areRead… Read more »
Have you watched somewhat helplessly these past few months as your Facebook interactions dropped rapidly? Has the “reach” of your posts dipped as low as you’ve ever seen it, no matter how great your content is? It’s not your fault. It’s Facebook’s fault. And they’re doing it on purpose. Here are just a few recentRead… Read more »
I’ve been giving talks to social media rookies since 2009. The focus of these talks varies depending on the audience, and the details have evolved over time, but there are certain social media engagement principles that I highlight in almost every presentation. These principles are an extension of the ideas I shared in Social MediaRead… Read more »
During the UK riots in 2011, the UK Prime Minister suggested shutting down social networks in future riots to prevent information sharing amongst rioters. Now Turkey has blocked access to Twitter, stating the service was ‘biased’ and did nothing to stop the ‘character assassination’ of politicians in the current ruling party accused of bribery. LikeRead… Read more »
The following is a perfect example of how employees at USGS are not only able get recognition for the great work they do (in this case photography) but also give the USGS recognition as providing quality and engaging content! Do you have ways for your employees to participate in your social media efforts?If you’d likeRead… Read more »
I popped open my twitter account (@jmillsapps) this morning and realized that for the last few weeks I hadn’t really been on much. I remember back when I first got on Twitter I loved it because so much of what I was interested in came to me without my spending time combing the web. IRead… Read more »
For decades, urbanites have been tuning in to local radio stations before their morning commute to hear the traffic report. Based on static cameras at strategic locations, as well as helicopters and tips from motorists or passengers, traffic reports are perfect examples of data that give rise to decisions. Holland Tunnel is blocked? Route aroundRead… Read more »
We saw an intriguing article last month over at the PewResearch Internet Project that we thought might interest some of our social media- and tech-oriented members. Pew has compiled some very impressive amounts of data on the patterns that we can find in political conversation on Twitter that may hold insights for us as practitioners.Read… Read more »
In the past few years the scope of digital communications in government has gone through a tremendous change. Gone are the days when a simple press release would suffice. Now governments at all levels are responsible for communications outreach through many different channels; emails, social media, text messaging etc. For a local Parks and Recreation’sRead… Read more »
The argument has been made (and made and made) that SxSW is So Over ™. Respectfully, I disagree. It is certainly a corporate event—witness Samsung offering to bring a free, charged battery to anyone whose Samsung device is running low—but that doesn’t mean that governments agencies, whether local, state, or federal, should skip out. Indeed,Read… Read more »